Snapshots of Pittsburgh

I am in the lobby of the Omni hotel listening to the dulcet tones of the local piano player, sitting with executives and tourists and convention attendees. I stare at my screen as I sift through the moments I most want to capture for our little blogging community.
First of all, I feel I am under a duty to discuss my grander plan for the NCTE/NWP experience. I plan to stalk Jim Burke.
Now, for those of you who may not be members of the Burkian fan club, let me wax poetic. I begin with a history: when I was becoming a teacher, I was coming to education through an indirect route. My cohort was designed for people entering the profession as a second career. Therefore, it was sort of a crash course. Jim Burke's English Teacher's Companion became both my lifeline to effective English instruction (or at least a semblance or beginning of one) as well as the bane of my existence, as I knew I could never reach such lofty heights of pedagogy. Jim B. became both guru and guide, and he looked so darn dreamy on the cover. I recall him, leaning slightly to the left, gaze leveled directly into the camera, assuring me that I, a mere mortal, could convey all of the aspects of English to my willing and eager pupils with ease. All I needed was a well organized website (http://www.englishcompanion.com/) and a few graphic organizers from his Tools for Thought (note: all titles available through Heinemann publishers). And now, Jim Burke and I, for the first time, are in the same city! Clearly, I must get an interview. This becomes my higher purpose. Please check out our 'podcast from the car' for more of me gushing about Burke. Hopefully, at this time on Saturday, I will be posting the success of my quest to meet Jim Burke. Stay tuned for further details.